Considering how office space is where you and your employees spend most time, its cleanliness and hygiene are of most importance for you as a business owner. You need to ensure that the office space is clean, dust-free, and hygienic for your employees’ health and also presentability.
Factors to consider before choosing a company for office cleaning services
Here are some factors you should consider before hiring any new company for office cleaning services.
- Background checks
Before hiring any office cleaning services, conduct a thorough background check on the agency. Furthermore, speak to the representatives of these agencies to get complete information about the terms and features of their services. Look into their work history at properties they currently service or have serviced in the past. Also, look for customer reviews of these agencies online on different portals apart from their official website. In case you are averse to hiring relatively young office cleaning services in the industry, ensure that you check the age of companies. Detailed research into potential office cleaning service agencies will help you narrow down your choices.
- Comparing rates
Do not hire the first agency that you come across, as you may probably lose out on better deals. While considering companies that provide office cleaning services, get quotes from numerous companies. Then, you can compare these as per the services and rates offered. Additionally, knowing this information grants you a competitive advantage while negotiating with companies that provide office cleaning services. You can not only access discounts and other benefits, but also negotiate a long-term contract at an affordable price.
- Training for the cleaning crew
Ensure that you know the level of training provided to the cleaning crew before you hire a company that provides office cleaning services. This should include complete information on what cleaning processes, chemicals, and appliances the crew uses while cleaning. Also, find out the collective experience of the employees that could be assigned to your office, the languages they know, and if they can take care of multiple areas of work at the same time. Also, inquire about the selection and screening process the agency follows. Reliable office cleaning service companies conduct a thorough background check on their staff, ensuring that employees do not have a criminal history.
Do not hesitate to avoid companies that do not conduct thorough background checks and verifications to screen their staff. This way you are not only protecting your office space, but also ensuring the safety of your employees. Also, inquire if the same crew will be assigned to your office regularly or is it assigned on a rotational basis. Again, this is to ensure that you can protect your employees and your property in addition to gathering information for security clearance. It would be ideal to hire companies that assign the same crew for office cleaning services, ensuring familiarity with the office space.
- Ask for references
While comparing companies that provide office cleaning services, ask the sales representative to provide a list of their clients. Acquire knowledge about how these clients have rated their work, and how long they have been providing office cleaning services to these clients. Ideally, ask for references of companies that are similar to yours in size and type. Cleaning requirements for office spaces vary, depending on the type and size of business. Certain businesses require a specific service for their office space depending on their needs. For example, a food processing company will require office cleaning services that are completely different from an IT company. Therefore, asking for references that are similar to your business will help you understand the office cleaning services you require and choose them accordingly.
- Understand the services offered
Find out what exactly entails professional office cleaning services offered by a company. The response to this query can help you in shortlisting companies. For instance, you can easily eliminate companies that respond vaguely. Opt for companies that give you specifics and detailed information pertaining to your needs. Apart from understanding what services are offered, also know whether the cleaning company is open to specific instructions regarding the cleaning of your facility. For example, if there are areas in your commercial space that are out of bounds, ensure that the cleaning crew knows and does not enter the space.
- Find out how it's done
Look at how well a cleaning company executes their office cleaning services. Companies that provide office cleaning services have a checklist of all the cleaning tasks that their cleaning crew is supposed to complete. If the cleaning services companies you are looking at have such checklists, there is a good chance that the services are uniform, in terms of the tasks, irrespective of the assigned crew. Apart from the tasks, these checklists at times also include a list of cleaning agents, areas to be cleaned, and the number of times a particular area is to be cleaned. Other than this, some companies also conduct surprise janitorial inspections from their end to ensure client satisfaction and accountability on the cleaning staff’s end. This inspection may be aided with special software or apps that help keep track of the work done and the quality.
- Cleaning expertise
Check the area of expertise of companies that provide office cleaning services. Cleaning services for commercial establishments differ from cleaning for residential properties. Home cleaning services companies may not be aware of the rules and regulations of working in commercial spaces and are usually not an ideal fit for office cleaning services. Therefore, make it a point to opt for a professional company that excels in office cleaning services.
- Flexible schedules
Find out if the cleaning service company offers flexibility in terms of working hours. Most reputed cleaning crews offer services and cleaning crews that can work around your schedule requirements. This is especially ideal if you need these services to be executed during non-working hours. It is also good to discuss preferred timings for the cleaning crew and find out whether the company has any other exceptions or holidays. Furthermore, also inquire if the cleaning company will accommodate special or customized cleaning services if requested. This can help you save money as you can simply opt for only the services you need instead of pre-packaged plans that may not be entirely suitable for your office space. Moreover, you also get a chance to be extremely specific with what you need for your office, making it easier for the cleaning company to allocate resources accordingly.
- Documentation, licenses, and certification
Check if the cleaning company you intend to hire has all the necessary documentation, and certifications required of a cleaning company. This includes the appropriate licenses according to state laws. Ensure that you ask for a copy of the necessary paperwork and do not settle for verbal confirmation before you hire the company. Also, ask for insurance as it is risky to work with companies that do not have liability insurance. Hiring a cleaning company that does not have insurance can cause problems for you. For instance, if a cleaning crew member suffers an injury on your office property, then you will be liable to pay for damages. Reputed cleaning companies that have regular and verified employees are often the ones that have liability insurance. Note that a Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) certification is especially required for companies that claim to run green cleaning operations.
- A proper MSDS list in hand and green cleaning services
Another important information you need to know before hiring any company that provides office cleaning services is whether they have an MSDS list. MSDS stands for Material Data Safety Sheet; it is imperative for office cleaning services companies to have this list even if they are working with the safest of chemicals. A reputed cleaning company will have MSDS lists for every cleaning agent and chemical they use. Also, the staff is given safety instructions to ensure the utmost care while using or transporting these cleaning agents. If the employees of the company are bilingual, the employer is required to offer this list in more languages and not just in English. You can also enquire if the cleaning service companies follow any sort of green cleaning program. Green cleaning programs or practices focus on ensuring sustainability. Some initiatives under this include storing, labeling, and disposing of cleaning agents and chemicals in a safe and environmentally-friendly way. This is especially ideal if you believe in adopting sustainable practices in all aspects of running a business.
- Hire a local company for proximity
It is always better to opt for a local company or a company that has an office in the same area as yours. This makes it easier to get in touch with the company in case of grievances and also to find out about the company's credibility and genuineness. Moreover, local companies can easily get you a cleaning crew whenever you request.
- Final checks
Once you have zeroed down on a company for office cleaning services, ensure that the staff assigned to your office space is well-trained and privy to any information regarding safety and off-limit areas. Ensure that each of the members of the cleaning crew is aware of the relevant workplace safety practices. It is ideal to ask for the same team to do the work so that you can save time on any training if needed. In this regard, it is always better to hire a cleaning company that has a low employee turnover rate.
- Contract terms
Before signing the dotted line, ensure that you are privy to all terms and conditions in the contract. This especially applies to the duration of the contract. A cleaning company will offer you discounts and benefits for entering a long-term contract. However, do remember that you cannot terminate this contract even if you are unhappy with the quality of the office cleaning services provided later. On the other hand, you can opt for a short term contract and change cleaning companies when needed. However, this may entail an inflated budget, and also compromise on your security concerts. Therefore, before signing a contract, ensure that you have thoroughly researched the company and have read its terms and conditions.
These tips will help you reduce the guesswork involved in picking a professional office cleaning service company. Irrespective of which company you hire for office cleaning services, ensure that it shares all details and the terms in writing. Additionally, clarify the payment schedules and the mode of payments as well. Always look for companies that provide customized services so that you can get the most out of these offerings. If you or any of your employees are allergic to any cleaning agents, ensure that the cleaning crew is informed about the same.
Even before you search for companies that provide office cleaning services, jot down your requirements. Knowing your requirements will expedite your decision on hiring the most suitable cleaning company. A clean, well-maintained, and hygienic workplace fosters a positive mindset among your staff. Moreover, a visually alluring office creates a good impression on your customers, business associates, and anyone who visits your office.
